Treatment machine for treating packaging means

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for treating packaging means, particularly in the form of bottles and similar containers, comprising a conveying element that can be used to move the packaging means past at least one treatment module provided on at least one operating position, which module can be coupled to and decoupled from the treatment position, and mechanical coupling and/or centering means determining the position of the at least one treatment module after docking. The invention is characterized in that, in order to detect possible deviations of the treatment module coupled to the treatment machine from the target position, and/or to realign the coupled treatment module into the target position, at least one optical centering and adjusting means is provided, some of the functional elements of which are provided on the treatment module, and some are provided on the treatment machine.

The invention relates to a treatment machine for treating packaging means, particularly for treating bottles, cans or similar containers or packaging made of flat material blanks, according to the preamble of patent claim 1. The invention further relates to a method for the aligned docking of a treatment module to a treatment machine according to the preamble of patent claim 10.

Especially for treatment machines in the form of labelling machines, it is known to design the labelling stations or labelling units as quickly and easily exchangeable labelling modules, which can be coupled to at least one operating position of the treatment machine or to its machine base or decoupled from said base, to enable quick and easy adaptation of such a labelling machine of modular construction to the particular changed labelling tasks. For this purpose, it is usual to set the particular labelling module, after docking, for the labelling task to be performed with this module, such as for treating special labels etc. and, after completion of this labelling task, to decouple it from the labelling machine and to park it outside or to the side of the labelling machine until a subsequent use, so that a labelling module set for another labelling task can be coupled to the operating position concerned.

The setting of the particular labelling module for its labelling task is usually performed during a setting mode or trial run of the labelling machine, during which the labels applied to the packaging means are visually checked and any readjustment of the module concerned or the local labelling unit in respect of the labelling machine or the packaging means moved past the labelling unit is performed until the module or the local labelling unit has the target position necessary for optimum application of the labels.

In order to achieve an alignment of these modules as early as the docking of the labelling modules to the labelling machine, it is usual to provide interacting mechanical docking and centering elements at the labelling modules and at the labelling machine or at the machine base. However, practice has shown that, despite the use of such elements, the high repeat or positional accuracies required for optimum labelling, e.g. few tenths of a millimetre, cannot be achieved during re-docking even of a labelling module already set and that, instead, deviations from the target position exist after re-docking, wherein even small positional deviations from the target position lead to a clear deterioration of the labelling quality.

For this reason it has so far been necessary, after every re-docking of a labelling module, to re-set this module, for example in a trial run or setting mode of the labelling machine, which is at least time-consuming.

The task of the invention is to design a treatment machine with at least one treatment module dockable in and undockable from at least one operating position of the machine such that, after re-docking of the module, its current target position can be detected easily and quickly and, if required, easy and quick readjustment of the docked treatment module is also possible. To solve this task, a treatment machine according to patent claim 1 has been designed. A method for the aligned docking of a treatment module to a treatment machine is the subject of patent claim 10.

An essential feature of the invention is that, in addition to the mechanical docking and centering elements, which ensure at least an approximate positioning of the docked treatment module in a target position, at least on optical adjusting and setting means is provided. With this at least one optical adjusting and setting means, any deviation from the target position can be detected quickly and easily even if the deviation only is a deviation by few tenths of a millimetre or few tenths of a degree, thus enabling, if required, a readjustment or re-setting of the docked treatment module so that it then actually has the target position necessary for optimum treatment of the packaging means.

In a preferred embodiment, the optical centering and setting means is designed such that it enables checking and/or setting in and/or about at least two spatial axes, preferably about at least two spatial axes oriented at right angles to each other, or at least two optical adjusting and setting means are provided for this.

In the simplest case, the at least one optical adjusting and setting means is designed as a viewfinder with which the operating staff, after coupling the treatment module concerned to the treatment machine, can view a mark via a viewing line which, for example, is defined by at least two viewing points, or the corresponding viewfinder is implemented using beam-deflecting and/or beam-focussing and/or beam-shaping optical components.

In a preferred embodiment, the at least one adjusting and setting means is a laser beam-based adjusting and setting means with at least one laser whose laser beam is aimed at a mark or a marking field. For this purpose, the laser consists of at least one laser diode and of an optical system for collimating the laser beam of the laser diode.

Further developments, advantages and possible applications of the invention also follow from the description below of execution examples and from the Figures. For this purpose, all features described and/or pictorially represented, for themselves or in any combination, in principle, are subject of the invention, irrespective of their summary in the claims or their retrospectivity. The content of the claims is also made a part of the description.

Below, the invention is clarified using the Figures by means of an a execution example, showing

FIG. 1 in simplied schematic representation and in plan view: a container treatment machine of rotary construction in the form of a labelling machine;

FIG. 2 the labelling machine in partial representation together with a treatment station docked to the machine or to the machine base;

FIG. 3 in simplified representation: a marking field, of a laser beam-based adjusting and setting means, provided at the machine.

The machine generally designated 1 in the Figures serves to treat packaging means in the form of bottles or similar containers 2 and comprises, in the manner known per se to those skilled in the art, a rotor 3 rotatably drivable about a vertical machine axis MA in the direction of the arrow A, with a plurality of container receiving positions 4 formed at the circumference of said rotor at equal angular distances distributed around the machine axis MA. At the container receiving positions 4, the containers 2 delivered with an outer transporter 5 are handed over, via a container infeed 6, always individually and standing upright, i.e. with their container axes oriented in the vertical direction. From the container receiving positions 4, the treated containers 2 are removed at a container outfeed 7 for passing to an outer transporter 8.

The containers 2 upstanding on the container receiving positions 4 are moved, with the rotating rotor 3, past at least one treatment module 9 which, depending on the special design of the treatment machine 1, can be a module of various types, for example a labelling module with labelling unit when designing the treatment machine as a labelling machine for labelling the containers, or as a printing station or printing module when designing the treatment machine 1 as a printing machine for printing the containers 2 etc.

To be able to use the treatment machine 1 for different treatments with different treatment modules 9, for example for labelling containers 2 of different form and/or size with labels of different type and/or size or for printing the containers 2 with different printing heads etc. which, for example, are adapted to the type and/or size of the particular printed image, several treatment modules 9 are provided of which, when operating the treatment machine 1, one each is docked in the at least one operating position 10 to the treatment machine 1 or to the machine base 11, while the remaining treatment modules 9 are in a waiting position.

Especially during labelling, during printing but also during other treatment types, it is necessary that the particular treatment module 9 docked to the treatment machine 1 or its treatment unit 9.1 is aligned very precisely and positionally accurately in respect to the treatment machine 1. To facilitate the docking of the particular treatment module 9 and, in doing so, also achieve alignment of the treatment module 9 in respect of the treatment machine 1 or the machine base 11, it is usual and known to provide, at the treatment machine 1 and at the treatment modules 9, mechanical docking and centering elements schematically designated 12 in FIG. 2 in order to ensure that, after the docking of a treatment module 9, this takes up the required target position with maximum accuracy.

In practice, however, it has been shown that, despite the docking and centering elements 12, for example during labelling but also during printing, required repeat or positional accuracies of few tenths of a millimetre during re-docking of a treatment module to the associated operating position 10 cannot be achieved. For example, this is caused

-   -   by different, changing friction conditions at the fixtures and         counter-fixtures or at the local centering elements of the         treatment modules 9 and the treatment machine 1,     -   by contamination of or damage to the fixtures and         counter-fixtures,     -   by contamination of or damage to the subsurface or hall floor         13,     -   by lack of attention on the part of the operating staff etc.

Thus, after re-docking, re-setting is required in order to achieve the target position or target alignment. This setting of the treatment unit 9.1, for example, is performed between this unit and a module base 9.2 having the module-side docking and centering elements 12, as indicated in FIG. 2 with the double arrow B, wherein this setting is performed during a trial run or setting mode of the treatment machine 1, which is at least time-consuming.

To avoid this, the treatment machine 1 and its treatment modules 9 are designed with optical adjusting and setting means, each of which enables accurate checking of the actual position of each treatment module 9 after docking to the operating position 10 as well as exact readjustment of each treatment module 9 or of the associated treatment unit 9.1 in the exact target position in and/or about at least two axes of the treatment module, wherein these at least two axes are preferably oriented vertically to each other. These axes which, for example, are horizontal or essentially horizontal, are designated x1 and x2 in FIG. 1, wherein the axis x1 is radially oriented and the axis x2 is tangentially oriented to the machine axis MA.

Also symbolically represented in FIG. 1 is the Z axis which, essentially, is aligned parallel to the axis of rotation of the labelling machine. This Z axis, for example, runs through one of the docking and centering elements 12 and thus represents an axis about which the treatment module can also be moved.

For each axis x1 and x2, in the embodiment shown, a separate optical adjusting and setting means is provided each of which consists of a laser 15 emitting a laser beam 14 in the x1 or x2 axis concerned and a marking field 16 onto which the laser beam 14 is aimed after the docking of the treatment module 9.

In the embodiment shown the laser 15 which, for example, is designed according to a laser pointer, is provided at the treatment module 9 or at its treatment unit 9.1. The associated marking field 16 is provided at the treatment machine 1, for example at the local machine frame 11 or at the rotor 3.

FIG. 3 shows one of the marking fields 16 which, target-like, is designed with several concentric rings 18 encircling a centre 17, together with the illuminated dot 14.1 generated by the laser beam 14.

For example during first commissioning of the treatment machine or of the particular treatment module 9, this module coupled to the machine or its treatment unit 9 is aligned exactly in the target position required for treating the containers 2 and, for this purpose, the lasers 15 of the two optical adjusting and setting means are also aligned such that the light spot 14.1 generated by the particular laser beam 14 is exactly in the centre 17.

If, after re-docking the treatment module 9, it has an actual position deviating from the exact target position, in which the illuminated dot 14.1 of the laser beam 14 of the adjusting and setting means concerned is outside of the centre 7, as indicated in FIG. 3, a readjustment or realignment of the entire docked treatment module 9 or of the treatment units 9.1 is performed until the illuminated dot 14.1 coincides with the centre 17.

The distance of the inner ring 18 from the centre 17 and of the rings 18 from each other is a measure of the size of the deviation of the actual position from the target position. If smaller deviations in a certain tolerance range are not detrimental, a readjustment can be omitted in case of such deviations of the illuminated dot 14.1 from the centre 17, i.e. for example if the illuminated dot 14.1 is still within the first ring 18 encircling the centre 17. In these cases, the particular adjusting and setting means then only serves to check the current actual position of the docked treatment module 9.

To simplify checking of the actual position and/or the readjustment, it can be appropriate to design the particular marking field 16 and/or the surface having this marking field transparently or like a matt screen, so that the light spot 14.1 can be viewed on the back of the marking field facing away from the laser 15, on which the marking of the centre 17 and the rings 18 are then also visible.

Above, it was assumed that the lasers 15 generating the laser beams 14 are each provided at the treatment modules 9 and the associated marking fields 16 at the treatment machine 1.

This arrangement can of course be the other way round, at least for one of the optical centering and setting means, i.e. with a laser 15 provided at the treatment machine and with a marking field 16 provided at the treatment module 9.

Furthermore, there is the possibility of designing the marking fields 16 other than target-like, for example as crosshairs or in the form of optical grids e.g. with a plurality of lined individual markings etc.

Furthermore, there is the possibility of providing the lasers 15 detachably at the treatment modules 9 and/or at the treatment machine 1, namely always in fixtures which positively receive these lasers 15. For this purpose, it is of particular importance that the lasers 15, after reinsertion, regain their original exact orientation and positioning with very high accuracy.

The invention was described above by means of an execution example. It is understood that numerous changes as well as modifications are possible without departing from the idea on which the invention is based.

Thus, it was assumed above that the optical adjusting and setting means are laser beam-based. Of course, other optical adjusting and setting means can also be used, for example those which enable the operating staff to ascertain, through visual targeting or viewing, any deviation of the actual position of the docked treatment module from its target position. In the simplest case, such optical targeting or viewing systems then consist of least two targeting or viewing points which, for example, are attached to the particular treatment module 9 or to the treatment machine 1, and a reference point or mark or a marking field attached to the treatment machine 1 or to the treatment module. More complex optical viewing devices, i.e. those with beam-deflecting and/or beam-focussing and/or beam-shaping optical elements and/or with displays in at least two spatial axes can also be used as adjusting and setting means.

REFERENCE SYMBOL LIST

-   1 container treatment machine -   2 container -   3 rotor -   4 container fixture -   5 outer transporter -   6 container infeed -   7 container outfeed -   8 outer transporter -   9 treatment module -   9.1 treatment unit -   9.2 module frame or module base -   10 operating position -   11 machine frame -   12 docking and centering elements -   13 subsurface or hall floor -   14 laser beam -   14.1 light spot -   15 laser -   16 marking field -   17 centre -   18 ring -   A direction of rotation of the rotor 3 -   B setting of the treatment module 9 or of the treatment unit 9.1 -   MA machine axis -   x1, x2 axis 

1-15. (canceled)
 16. An apparatus for treating packages, said apparatus comprising: a treatment machine having a conveying element for moving packages; a treatment module provided at an operating position of said conveying element, said treatment module being configured to be docked with and undocked from said treatment machine at said operating position; a mechanical coupling and/or centering element to determine a position of said treatment module after docking with said treatment machine; and an optical centering and adjusting element for detecting deviations in a position of a docked treatment module from a target position and/or for readjusting said docked treatment module, said optical centering and adjusting element including a pair of functional elements, one of which is provided on said treatment module and another of which is provided on said treatment machine.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising additional treatment modules, each of which is configured to be docked with and undocked from said treatment machine at said operating position.
 18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said optical centering and adjusting element comprises a laser beam-based adjusting element having a laser beam source for generating a laser beam.
 19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein one of said functional elements comprises an optically detectable mark or an optically detectable marking field.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the optically detectable mark or optically detectable marking field comprises a grid having cross hairs.
 21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the optically detectable mark or optically detectable marking field comprises a target design.
 22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said optical centering and adjusting element comprises a viewfinder.
 23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said viewfinder comprises at least two viewing points for viewing a mark or a marking field associated with one of said functional elements.
 24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said viewfinder comprises a viewing device having optical elements for beam deflection.
 25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said viewfinder comprises a viewing device having optical elements for beam focus, and
 26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said viewfinder comprises a viewing device having optical elements for beam shaping.
 27. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said optical centering and adjusting element is configured to check and/or set a position of a treatment module docked to the treatment machine relative to two spatial axes extending in a horizontal plane.
 28. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said conveying element comprises a motor driven to cause rotation around a vertical machine axis.
 29. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said treatment module comprises a labeling unit.
 30. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said treatment module comprises a printing unit.
 31. A method for aligning a docked treatment module, said docked treatment module being docked with a package treatment machine, said method comprising: using a mechanical coupling and/or centering element, determining a position of said docked treatment module, using an optical centering and adjusting element having a pair of functional elements, one of which is at the treatment module and another of which is at the package treatment machine, determining an actual position of the treatment module relative to the package treatment machine, using the optical centering and adjusting element, adjusting said treatment module to reduce a deviation between said actual position of the treatment module and a nominal position to a value below a tolerance range.
 32. The method of claim 31, wherein using the optical centering and adjusting element comprises using a laser beam-based adjusting element having a laser beam source for generating a laser beam.
 33. The method of claim 31, wherein using the optical centering and adjusting element comprises optically detecting at least one of an optically detectable mark and an optically detectable marking field.
 34. The method of claim 33, wherein optically detecting at least one of an optically detectable mark and an optically detectable marking field comprises optically detecting one of a point-shaped design, a grid-like design, a crosshair-like design, and a target-like design.
 35. The method of claim 31, wherein using the optical centering and adjusting element comprises using a viewing device having optical elements for at least one of beam deflection, beam focusing, and beam shaping.
 36. The method of claim 31, further comprising using an additional optical centering and adjusting element, wherein said two optical centering and adjusting elements cooperate for checking and/or setting the position of the docked treatment module relative to at least two horizontal spatial axes. 